Manny bats for 1Pacman’s Congress bid

MANILA, Philippines - Sports being the least of priorities for the country’s presidential candidates, eight-division boxing world champion and senatorial aspirant Manny Pacquiao wants to make sure that it gets due attention in the legislative branch of the government.

Pacquiao, who has a lock on one of the 12 Senate seats at stake, is endorsing 1Pacman in the party list race for Congress.

“I am appealing to the voters nationwide to vote for 1Pacman this coming elections.” Pacquiao said yesterday. “1Pacman will fight for people’s interest in Congress in promoting good governance and in improving the ailing sports program in the country.

Chosen as 1Pacman’s top nominee is businessman-sportsman Mikee Romero, who like Pacquiao is an action man.

1Pacman stands for One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals.

Owner of GlobalPort Batang Pier in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the 1Pacman nominee also bankrolled the national team that handily won the 2007 Southeast Asian Games cage crown. He also supported teams that won several titles in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) and the defunct Philippine Basketball League (PBL).

Aside from being a one-time godfather of Philippine amateur basketball, Romero also once headed the shooting and cycling groups – a testament to his being an action man.

A business administration graduate from De La Salle, Romero holds Master and doctorate degrees, and is also an accomplished polo player.

Being a billionaire, Romero said, if ever elected, he will donate his salary for sports development and promised to tap his businessmen friends for the revival of the “godfather” system to fund national teams, particularly for the Olympics.

Apart from Pacquiao, who beat Timothy Bradley in his farewell fight on April 9 in Las Vegas, 1Pacman is being endorsed by two-time PBA MVP James Yap, GlobalPort star Terrence Romeo, Talk N Text ace Jayson Castro, Star pillar Marc Pingris and Ginebra skipper LA Tenorio.

Volleyball stars Rachel Anne Daquiz and Aby Marano are also pushing for 1Pacman in the May 9 elections.

Aside from bringing AirAsia to the country and becoming a part owner of one the most affordable  airlines in the world, the No. 1 nominee of 1Pacman was also responsible for the establishment of a world class port terminal in the country.